Kentucky Wins Third Straight Governors Cup, 31-27

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - When Derrick Locke returned a firstquarter kickoff unscathed for a 100-yard score, it almost seemedKentucky's retention of the Governor's Cup would go as easily asadvertised. But as Louisville and Kentucky have proven time and again, allbets are off when Bluegrass bragging rights are on the line. The Wildcats needed some late heroics by Mike Hartline andRandall Cobb to overcome three third quarter turnovers and pull outa 31-27 victory, their third straight in the series. "These fourth quarter comebacks are killing me," said RichBrooks, now in his seventh year as Wildcats coach. With less than five minutes left and down 27-24, Kentucky gotthe ball back courtesy of a fumbled kickoff return. Two playslater, Hartline found Cobb - his one-time rival for the startingquarterback job - in the corner of the end zone, closely guarded.The pass was high, but Cobb leaped, giving the Wildcats their finalwinning margin. "I knew when it was in the air I had to make a play," Cobbsaid. This back-and-forth battle for the Governor's Cup wasn't wonuntil the final 2 minutes when Louisville quarterback Justin Burkewas driving for a potential game-winning score, only to have a passtipped by Corey Peters and picked off by Sam Maxwell. Kentucky (2-0) had to punt the ball back to Louisville, butBurke's last-second Hail Mary was incomplete. Burke completed 15 of28 passes for 245 yards and two TDs. "We continued to attack," said Burke, who attended high schoolat Lexington Catholic, just a few miles from Commonwealth Stadiumwhere Saturday's game was played. "It shows it's a game ofresolve. We just kept coming back. We just killed ourselves, but wekept coming back." Just not quite enough. Until the end, it was Kentucky (2-0) thatseemed more determined to give the game away, turning the ball overto Louisville (1-1) on three straight third quarter possessions. Hartline committed two of those miscues on a fumbled snap and apass that was intercepted by a diving Johnny Patrick. He completed20 of 27 passes for 178 yards. "When times were looking bleak today, I felt like we ended upresponding well," Hartline said. "We were resilient. We knewthere was hope." After Louisville was penalized five yards for offsides, Locketook a first quarter kickoff from his own end zone, got one blockdownfield and sprinted untouched to the end zone. Locke was thefirst Wildcats player in history to return two 100-yard kickoffsfor TDs, having also done it last year against Western Kentucky. He also had a 2-yard TD run and racked up 191 return yards, 72rushing yards and 47 receiving yards. However, Locke also had acritical fumble of a kickoff in the second half, the first of thethree consecutive Kentucky drives that ended with turnovers. "We are going to have bad plays, but my team bailed me out,"Locke said. Louisville drove deep into Kentucky territory all three timesand also on the opening drive of the second half, after Trent Guyreturned the kickoff 65 yards. Still, the Cardinals managed justone touchdown on any of those chances - a 5-yard pass from Burke toCameron Graham. Guy caught just one pass, but it was by far the longest inBurke's short two-game career as the starter. The quarterback hithim in stride as he sprinted down the sideline for a 66-yard scorethat gave Louisville its final lead at 27-24. However, it was Guy's fumbled kickoff that set up Kentucky'sfinal score. "I told him not to feel bad," Louisville coach SteveKragthorpe said of Guy. "That play did not lose the game." Burke, completed 15 of 28 passes for 245 yards and two TDs. Both teams sustained long scoring drives in the first quarter,but while Kentucky had to settle for a field goal, Louisville tookan early 7-3 lead behind some dynamic running by Victor Anderson,who had 19 carries for 110 yards. Anderson changed direction and scampered 35 yards onLouisville's first play from scrimmage, then he ended a nine-playdrive by running up the middle for a 3-yard score - the Cardinalslone rushing TD of the day. Kentucky led 17-7 at halftime. It might have been more if notfor a malfunctioning scoreboard clock. Officials ran off 15 secondsafter the restart, and the Wildcats didn't have time to spike theball for a field goal. Despite the victory, Kentucky's performance wasn't nearly asdominant as its 42-0 victory over Miami of Ohio two weeks earlier.Linebacker Micah Johnson, who made some key plays on defense, saidthe expectations going in were probably a little high for a seriesthat always seems to be won at the end. "A lot of people were expecting us to blow them out, butthey're a good team," Johnson said.

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